A War of Head Versus Heart
by blanchey
Summary: Together, two broken hearts can still make a whole…if they are put together in just the right way. Jacob/Leah but not stereotypical in the least bit. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note**: Heya there! First of all, since you're reading this, I'm assuming you're about to read my story which is awesome and for that, I thank you. Also, as a disclaimer, I don't own Jacob or Leah or Sam or Paul or...well, anything from Twilight at all. Chances are, if I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfics because I would be too busy trying to max out an unlimited credit card or something of the like. Anyways. Onto the story!

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Emerald eyes rolled with blatant irritation as she crossed her arms over her chest, taking a stance of supposed disbelief and evident repugnance. **"Come on Jake,"** she began, obviously choosing each of her words wisely to get the maximum reaction from her fellow werewolf**, "You cannot tell me that you're still moping over the stupid leech lover like she's some sort of god."** Her words held no ounce of mercy and a heavy dose of spite oozed from every syllable as she spoke. **"Get. Over. It,"** Leah continued, drawing out each word as if to make her point even more clear, all the while ignoring how Jacob's fingertips were beginning to shake despite his efforts of self-control. If anything, seeing the minor clues of an unplanned phasing in the making only urged her on, but her theatrical entrance was cut off with a rather surprising retaliation.

"**Shut the hell up, Leah,"** he spat back sharply, unable to contain his temper from influencing his response**. "You know very well that you're in no place to talk with how you drool over Sam practically 24/7 when he's engaged to your cousin of all people!"** Jacob knew better than anyone how much his words would affect Leah, if only because it was a nerve he'd struck all too many times. He knew the pain even the mention of Sam's name would bring to her and, quite frankly, didn't care. After all, he'd pitied her for too long and she had no right to waltz around trying to wreck havoc on everyone else just to avoid dealing with her own problems. In a slight pause before her vindictive response, Jacob took a deep breath and calmed himself enough to momentarily stop the small tremors. Besides, he knew better than to let Leah Clearwater, of all people, get the best of him…right?

Though the words pierced her heart and even the mention of Sam's name was enough to send an electric shock up her spine, Leah did her best to remain composed. Regardless of her efforts, she couldn't suppress the surge of nerves to her hands but didn't look down as her fingers began to shake. Curling her hands into fists in effort to release some of the tension building up, Leah gritted her teeth together as she spoke**. "At least I know that things are never going to be the same, but you just seem stuck in a world of the past. It's like you expect her to come crawling back to you one day, proclaiming her undying love for you,"** she hissed the words, outrage showing itself when her arms began to shake as well. **"Newsflash, Jake,"** she practically yelled, **"It's not going to happen! If her choosing to become one of them wasn't enough to wake you up, I don't know what is. I'm sure you believed yourself to be invincible with her by your side, but that's not the way it is so just stop wallowing in your self pity and get a grip for God's sake!"**

By now, Jacob's arms were shaking just as much, if not more, than Leah's, and he had to bite down on his tongue with agonizing intensity to keep from striking her right there. **"Self pity?"** he repeated acidly, making eye contact with her as she threw accusations at him**. "Now I'm the sulking harpy? Excuse me, but I didn't think we had switched places…"** the words continued as Jacob was utterly unable to stop himself from being drawn into the fight. He knew that, especially being second-in-command of the pack, he wasn't supposed to fall victim to trivial things like Leah's incessant pot stirring, for example, but his temper got the better of him and he couldn't restrain his actions. Hardly thinking about the consequences that would undoubtedly be in store, Jacob let emotion take control of his tongue and he lashed out once more**. "Don't go blaming me just because instead of trying to make everyone's life a living hell I chose to deal with my problems on my own accord and own damn timetable, Leah! Not everyone can be as stoic and apathetic as you."**

"**What timetable, Jacob?! It doesn't matter what happens - she is bound to him for all of eternity! Eternity, Jake! This isn't a nightmare you can just wake up from,"** she found herself saying as the light breeze caught a strand of her black hair and blew it around her face, only adding to the dramatic effect of the whole scene. **"You have to get used to it, boy,"** came the follow-up and her voice lowered slightly, in an almost evil tone. As she recalled the mention of her tendency to bring up unpleasant topics or questions with the pack just to avert the attention from her inner chaos, Leah narrowed her eyes in anger. **"Well excuse me if I'm not as noble when dealing with my heartbreak and don't handle it like Jacob Black!"** The tremors in her arms traveled quickly up her body, to the point where she might have looked similar to an epileptic patient by the time she had stopped speaking.

Everything that happened next was in somewhat of a blur. In the amount of time it would normally take for a mere blink of the eye, the two Quileutes standing opposite each other were replaced with two snarling wolves much too large to be considered normal. The larger of the two, a hulking russet-colored one, was positioned as if on the defense of the confrontation in a rather intimidating position, teeth gleaming in the sun. The rather feisty looking one, smaller in appearance yet equally as frightening altogether, was still shaking with anger as the wind caught hold of her grey fur and looked as if she was ready to pounce on her supposed packmate - so much for a nice little conversation on the beach. In a matter of minutes, it was indisputable that at least three more werewolves would be on the premises, attempting to calm down the dispute.

"_It doesn't have to be like this,"_ Jacob thought after a few seconds of the usual growling that accompanied an unintended transformation. A hopeful tone masked his inward annoyance as his position as a leader in the pack sunk in. Instantaneously, the realization of his relative resistance to succumb to Leah's usual trite jibes kicked in and helped overpowered the instinct to continue with the fight. What was he doing?

Though his attempt was valiant, it was all in vain because Leah was never one to give in that easily, especially when her fiery temper had been ignited. _"Oh really, Jake?"_ she thought angrily, transferring many unnecessary thoughts of annoyance and rage to Jacob. _"So are you really trying to pretend that the one person you loved didn't just get up and leave because they 'had no other choice'? Hah. Good luck with that, I've heard reality is a hard thing to run from."_

Self-control was a strength of Jacob's, but her words, or thoughts, rather, were too much for him to handle. Within milliseconds, he switched from defensive mode and leapt on Leah - clawing at her fur and snapping his jaws at her neck as she eagerly went along with the sudden change in tempo. Releasing his teeth from her nape, Jacob remained in the struggle for an advantage in the fight as he snarled, _"Don't even try to pretend this is all about me, Leah."_

Scratching ruthlessly at his back with her claws, Leah growled and bit down into his shoulder though she knew the wound wouldn't last more than a few seconds. At his thoughts, Leah abruptly freed herself from the fight, retreating a few feet away and glaring at Jacob with more intensity than the sun's rays upon the earth_. "What the hell are you talking about?"_ she asked sharply, though her thoughts gave her away and refuted the importance of the question.

"_I'm saying, don't drag me into your own problems just because you're too much of a coward to confront them yourself, Leah!"_ he said, almost sympathetically though the edge to his thoughts disregarded any sense of true concern. The fur on his back relaxed and his hackles calmed as Jacob took a few more strides away from Leah, determined not to get into another round of relentless fighting. _"You don't have to do this alone."_

Leah spat with obvious contempt at his words, shaking her head forcefully so that her whole body shook in the wind_. "And who do I have? Sam? Emily? My father? Hah. Besides, I'm an 'emotional female' and thus inferior from birth so it's not like any of the pack members understand."_ Rolling her eyes, Leah shook her head again, refusing to let her guard down.

For some reason, her direct thoughts along with the subtle messages of pain and sorrow she certainly didn't intend for him to see struck a pressure point with Jacob, and his demeanor softened considerably when he realized that he knew exactly how she felt. _"You have me, I understand…"_ he ventured to say, blinking slowly in a way that would have looked rather odd to those not used to seeing such expressive wolves. Before he had time to elaborate, let alone wait for her reaction, a multitude of voices rushed into their heads and cut all other thoughts out rather abruptly.

"_What are you two doing? For God's sake, learn to control yourselves. I'm disappointed; especially in you, Jake."_ That would be Sam, the loudest voice in the pack and the one with a certain authoritative air to it.

Paul was close behind, disappointment coming from his thoughts in waves. _"Awh man, I missed a fight, again?! Dammit. Well, who won? Any battle wounds healing by the second?"_

Thankfully, the stream of obscenities trailing from Paul's thoughts were cut out by a typical Embry. _"Sheesh Jake, don't let her get under your skin…I thought you were better than that,"_ he taunted, attempted humor reeking throughout his mind.

Casting one last look in Leah's direction that gave the clear message of irritation, though he wasn't sure if it was at her or the fact that they were interrupted, Jacob shook his head solemnly and answered the questions in his head. _ "Sorry Sam, we got a little out of control,"_ he thought with a tone of resentment, already feeling the guilt of falling victim to his temper.

Leah caught the look, interpreted it as he believed it to be her fault that half the pack was heading their way, and tossed back her head in annoyance_. "Yeah, Sam,"_ she thought snidely, pushing all thoughts of her previous conversation away and resorting to her usual spite. _"Just a slip of temper though if Jake weren't so self-righteous it probably could have been avoided."_

He refused to get caught up in the moment once more and clenched his teeth instead, ignoring Leah's retort. Struggling to remain somewhat calm and indifferent, Jacob relaxed his nerves and ran up the beach. He would have just phased back a little while away but his clothes hadn't exactly stayed in tact after the unexpected transformation and the last thing he wanted was to be wandering around naked in the forest. _"I'm going home,"_ he thought tersely before disappearing and leaving a fuming Leah alone on the beach.

"_Fine,"_ Sam's calm reply came, only milliseconds after Jacob had decided what he was doing. _"But know that you'll be hearing from me later."_ Narrowing his thoughts to Leah, he added slowly, _"You too, Leah."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** Hey, first of all, thanks for reading! Here is chapter two and, just to let you know, the next chapter will take off right where this one leaves so it's not just a five minute conversation between them, haha.

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"**I'm not a kid, Sam!"** came the response, loud enough for the whole pack to hear even though Leah herself was upstairs and the rest of the Quileute werewolves were sitting in the living room. An obvious annoyance was dripping in her voice, and the female werewolf made no attempt to hide her discomfort at the news. The rest of the pack sans Jacob, who had already been told he wasn't to join the patrol thanks to his actions earlier that day, were practically craning their necks to hear the conversation between their alpha and the bitter harpy they all knew and…well, loved wouldn't be the right way to put it. It was quite evident that she wasn't pleased with the idea of spending an evening sitting at home with Jacob Black when the rest of the pack would be out on a patrol.

Unfortunately for Leah, Sam was hardly in the forgiving mood and seemed quite determined to stick to his decision on her punishment. Though, even as he spoke harsh words that made Leah clench her teeth in anger, his voice was calm and steady with an obvious emphasis on what he thought was going to be best for the pack**. "Leah, you showed us yesterday that you can't even control yourself around members of your own pack. How am I supposed to trust you to keep in line around whatever is out there?"** he pointed meaningfully out the window, eyes trailing to the forest in which the patrol would be headed into. It wasn't the first time Leah had let her explosive temper get the best of her and it certainly wouldn't be the last, but Sam was only focused on the present.

Narrowing her eyes into a glare that would have scared off nearly anyone else, Leah folded her arms across her chest and dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands to keep from saying something she would later regret. **"Fine,"** she said shortly, speaking through gritted teeth in what sounded like a forced response. **"But I'm not going to cooperate with **_**Jacob**_**,"** she spat the name in fury, **"Or be 'nice' just because you feel it's your duty as alpha to dictate our lives."** Relaxing her tensed posture ever-so slightly, Leah took a deep breath and brushed a lock of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. She closed her eyes gently, not trusting herself to keep control if Sam kept looking at her the way he was, and licked her lips. **"Don't order me to do anything though, and I'll try to at least be civil tonight so you don't have to use that damn alpha power to force me into anything I don't chose on my own accord,"** she continued slowly, articulating each word. Leave it to Leah to find a way around being ordered into being nice, and still sound tenacious as ever as she admitted defeat.

Surprised by the abnormally easy victory, which was usually unheard of when dealing with Leah of all people, Sam cocked his head to the side in a fashion that was most certainly too dog-like for his own good and gave a wary smile. Though he was completely infatuated and in love with Emily, a part of him still cared for Leah and it warmed his heart to see her actually cooperating for once - it gave a glimpse of the old Leah and helped divert attention from the new, bitter, heartbroken one. Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, Sam ruffled a hand through his cropped hair and cleared his throat before speaking**. "Glad you can see the light in the situation, Leah,"** he began coolly, pausing before more words formed on his tongue**. "And I'll tell Jake you plan to attempt playing nice…He should be pleased."** With that, the pack leader nodded once, as if affirming an unspoken comment to himself, and began towards the door, beckoning for Leah to follow.

Leah raised an eyebrow quizzically at Sam's subtle mention of Jacob being 'pleased' that she was going to attempt and act somewhat civilized. Unable to dismiss the thought from her mind, her imagination began to wander with explanations of his words. After all, if anyone else had said it, she wouldn't have even given them a second thought on the matter. But, since it was Sam and he hardly ever spoke without reason, one of the reasons he made such a good alpha, according to everyone but Leah, she couldn't help but think there was something more there. Though as much as she disliked being left in the dark, there was no way she was going to admit to over thinking such a simple afterthought, and didn't dare ask for Sam to elaborate. She didn't feel the need to break the silence that settled over her and Sam as they left the room but kept the scowl that had become somewhat permanent on her face there when they walked down the stairs, noting how all the pack tried to play it off like they hadn't been listening to the previous conversation. Rolling her eyes, she waved a hand in the hair dismissively and spoke in an irritated tone. **"Come on now, we both know you were practically on the staircase trying to hear what went on so you don't have to act like you've been perfect little angels the whole time."**

A few of the pack members, mainly the younger ones whom hadn't had as much time to get used to Leah's attitude yet, felt the need to stand up for themselves.

"**I didn't do anything!" **Brady, the youngest of the pack, said quickly as he ran a hand nervously through his hair, a habit he most likely picked up from idolizing Sam like most of the pack did. **"Collin just said that we should listen in case you guys started fighting and we could break it up," **he added, looking to Collin right after the last word escaped his mouth.

Collin, only fifteen as well, turned at the mention of his name and punched Brady in the arm with a growl. **"Sneak,"** he grumbled under his breath, glaring at Brady before turning to face Sam and Leah, whom had both made it down the stairs by this point.

Standing up coolly, as if imitating Sam's incessant patience, Jared looked around slowly before meeting Sam's eyes and smiling slightly. **"Does this mean we're leaving now? Kim wanted me to be back by ten and if we leave - "**

A temperamental Paul interrupted Jared's request for a departure, with a rather irritated look and shaking fingertips, though the tremors calmed almost immediately with a sharp warning glance from Sam. ** "And your precious Kim is certainly more important than everything else the pack has to worry about, right?"** he asked sarcastically, though there was humor in his eyes.

Jared shot him an icy look before turning back to Sam, his eyes hopeful. Sam nodded slowly, turning around as if to make sure Leah hadn't ran off already before looking back at his pack. **"As soon as Jacob gets here, we can leave…" **he replied diplomatically, eyes wandering towards the door as footsteps could be heard from outside. As if on cue, Jacob opened the door, not bothering to knock before entering, something that Leah took a mental note of as the scowl on her face deepened. He looked somber, as if still feeling the guilt of being punished by Sam for losing his temper earlier. Sam smiled slightly when Jacob entered, walking up to him and giving him a friendly pat on the back in greeting, along with a look that was almost sorrowful, as if Sam didn't want to be put in the position where he had to punish him. **"Hey,"** he said, though quieter so the whole pack couldn't hear him, **"Hopefully this'll teach you not to let her push your buttons, though we all know it's what she does best. Anyways - she promised to be on her best behavior tonight, if it's any consolation. We'll be back by a quarter 'til ten to make sure you're still alive."** Sam gave a light chuckle at his own laugh, drawing the attention of the pack back to him and he turned to face them in return. **"Come on now, guys. Why are you sitting there like a bunch of useless dogs? Let's go!" **though his words could be taken as demeaning, the laugh afterwards negated any negative intentions and the whole pack rose simultaneously, a few stifling laughs as they filed out the door behind Sam.

After a few seconds that were sufficiently awkward after the door had been shut, leaving Leah and Jacob alone in the living room, Jacob cleared his throat, causing Leah to look up from the floor. **"I can't believe they're out on patrol and we're stuck here…"** he said with the slightest hint of resentment as he voiced his thoughts about the situation. As if his voice was a greeting, Jacob then proceeded to step inside the room, jumping over the back of the couch to position himself stretched out across the upholstery - making himself right at home.

His obvious lack of respect made Leah practically fume with anger but, remembering what she had told Sam, she merely clenched her teeth together to try and calm her nerves. **"It's not the stuck **_**here**_** part that I'm annoyed with,"** she started slowly, trying her best to keep her explosive temper under control. Though, as determined as Leah was not to slip-up again, she allowed herself a bit of freedom. **"It's the company it has to be with."** Her words were simple enough, though obviously accusatory in meaning and getting the point across that she wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of spending an hour with Jacob.

Looking up from his comfortable position on the couch, Jake cocked an eyebrow and blinked at her response. At least she didn't seem as bent on getting under his skin this time 'round, and Sam said she would be on her best behavior…So why not try to press his luck a little bit and see what would happen? It wasn't like he had anything better to do. **"So you still don't want any help?"** he asked lucidly after a short pause, seemingly unphased by her previous words.

Slightly confused by his response, Leah narrowed her eyes into a slight glare at his words, not willing to admit to her dubiety. **"No,"** came the terse reply, with a practiced tone of confidence that didn't sound uncertain at all, thank God. **"And if I **_**did**_** want help," **she added with a slight sneer, **"The last person I would come to would be you."**

Feigning a look of surprise at her reply, when he truly expected nothing less from the bitter werewolf he knew all too well, Jacob grinned. **"I was just thinking that you might have changed your mind, ya' know,"** he said, with a nonchalance indifferent enough to make Leah begin asking herself questions. **"After all, it's only a matter of time before you realize I was right - you can't go through life on your own."** Harmless enough in tone, if a bystander was listening in on the conversation there was no way he would be able to see the hidden intentions and conniving double-meaning of the words. In fact, he would probably just think that Jacob was trying to be nice, not get a rise out of his fellow werewolf by exploiting an obvious sensitive spot.

Almost immediately, Leah's whole body tensed and she found her hands curled into fists, nails close to drawing blood from her palms as she dug them in, hoping to release some of her inner anger on herself rather than on Jacob, as much as he deserved it. Though, just as Jacob had hoped, a nerve had been struck and it couldn't be calmed that easily. With one swift movement, Leah was standing in front of Jacob on the floor, leaning threateningly over his body. Jabbing a finger at his chest, which she hated to admit was more muscular than she would have thought, she gritted her teeth together before speaking. **"If you think," **she began, voice filled with an accusatory spite, **"That you can just march in here and start up right where you left off last time, referring to the unpleasant event that got us both stuck here in the first place, you, Jacob Black, are terribly mistaken." **With that, sensing that she was beginning to cross from the civil line she had vowed to stay on, Leah was huffing away, straightening her back and brushing a lock of stray hair from her face. It was obvious that she was trying to dismiss all ties to their conversation on the beach, and how they had realized how alike they were in nearly everything. Temperament, obstinacy, fire, passion, loss…But neither were the easiest people to deal with, and Leah wasn't planning on starting any new friendships just because she found someone whom could possibly relate to her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note****:** If you're still following this story by now, I'm extremely thankful - you rock! So here is chapter three, and I'm sorry if it's fairly long but it's pivotal to the whole story and whatnot so make sure you don't just skim over it, haha. Oh! Also, if you have any suggestions for ways the plot goes, I've got a few ideas myself, but other opinions are always good so read and review!

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_Almost immediately, Leah's whole body tensed and she found her hands curled into fists, nails close to drawing blood from her palms as she dug them in, hoping to release some of her inner anger on herself rather than on Jacob, as much as he deserved it. Though, just as Jacob had hoped, a nerve had been struck and it couldn't be calmed that easily. With one swift movement, Leah was standing in front of Jacob on the floor, leaning threateningly over his body. Jabbing a finger at his chest, which she hated to admit was more muscular than she would have thought, she gritted her teeth together before speaking. __**"If you think," **__she began, voice filled with an accusatory spite, __**"That you can just march in here and start up right where you left off last time, referring to the unpleasant event that got us both stuck here in the first place, you, Jacob Black, are terribly mistaken." **__With that, sensing that she was beginning to cross from the civil line she had vowed to stay on, Leah was huffing away, straightening her back and brushing a lock of stray hair from her face. It was obvious that she was trying to dismiss all ties to their conversation on the beach, and how they had realized how alike they were in nearly everything. Temperament, obstinacy, fire, passion, loss…But neither were the easiest people to deal with, and Leah wasn't planning on starting any new friendships just because she found someone whom could possibly relate to her._

Jacob's lips immediately curved into a grin and he stood up from the couch, obviously pleased by her reaction. **"Now, now, Leah,"** he said, walking over to the kitchen where she had walked over to in frustration. **"Don't forget what you told Sam. I mean, I've never really seen 'happy Leah' but I doubt this is your best behavior," **as he spoke, Jacob's words were seemingly indifferent but almost as if a father was scolding their child. In reality he was just having fun finding her various pressure points and, though he might not have known, he just struck another one.

At the mention of her previous self, Leah's face tightened instantaneously and her eyes narrowed to the point where they were practically slits. She turned on her heel sharply; ready to snap back with a quick retort when she saw his grin. That only fueled her anger more, and she took three long strides towards Jacob, pursing her lips to keep from saying something completely out of line. After all, the last thing she wanted was for the whole pack to have to come back early from their patrol to interrupt another fight. Even if she wanted nothing more than rip her fellow werewolf to shreds at the current moment. Before she could even think of something to say though, Jacob was speaking again and she rolled her eyes in an instinctive response.

"**You know what I think?"** he asked, though Leah knew it was hardly a question. The volume of Jacob's voice lowered considerably as he continued but the grin remained stuck on his face. **"I think you just need to lighten up a little bit."**

Before Leah even had the chance to respond, Jacob had closed the little space between them and placed his hands firmly on her waist, one snaking around to the small of her back. And, the next thing she knew, the grin she hated so much was pressed against her lips despite any opinion she might have had on the action. Her emerald eyes flared with anger and Leah, though most other girls wouldn't have been able to against Jacob's pincer grip, pushed his body off of her own abruptly. **"Jacob!"** she practically shrieked, shoving him in the chest as hard as she could which, thanks to the werewolf gene, was hard enough to knock him against the counter on the other side of the kitchen. **"I don't know who you think you are or what the hell you think you're doing but I'll tell you one thing - we have nothing in common. Nothing!"**

As she turned to walk away, Jacob was by her side in a flash, recovering from the slight slip-up almost immediately and sliding his arms around Leah's waist so she couldn't leave. **"I know you'd like to believe that,"** he said whilst looking down into her eyes, speaking quickly as if to hold her attention but still quiet enough as to not anger her any further. **"But we both know that we've been through practically the same situation with Sam and Bella, respectively, and if there's anyone on this earth that could possibly understand either of us - it's each other."**

She had struggled against his grasp at the mention of Sam's name, but kept firm eye contact with Jacob while he spoke, unable to look away as much as she wanted to. When she spoke it was more to convince herself of the words than anyone else, but the words came out with less fire than what might have been expected and Jacob took it as welcoming. **"Jake, you don't even know what you're talking about. Just shut up and - " **her defensive rambling, which wasn't as strong in tone as she had hoped for it to be, was cut short as Jacob's lips met hers again, this time with less force. She felt as one of Jacob's hands moved softly up her back and supported her neck and didn't make a move to stop it. She felt her own hands moving from the defensive position on her hips slowly up to Jacob's shoulders, resting them gingerly as she closed her eyes. The kiss was tactful on Jacob's behalf, and she felt one of her own hands moving to the back of his head and knotting her fingers in his hair as his hand on her waist pulled their bodies closer together.

Their lips moved in a smooth rhythm, like puzzle pieces fitting together, and neither wanted to be the first to break the contact. When Jacob felt her fingers in his hair though, he took the opportunity to pull back momentarily and shift position so it could continue in a slightly different, yet equally as desirable, direction. With nearly effortless strength, he dropped both hands to Leah's waist and lifted her up quickly, setting her down gently on the top of the kitchen countertop and looking at her from eye level now.

In a matter of instinct, more than anything else, Leah allowed herself to be sat on the counter and, when Jacob moved to stand in front of her, she wrapped her legs hastily around his waist. Thought began to rush to her mind though, as he enveloped her torso in his arms, and she had immediate second thoughts. Nevertheless, she didn't try and stop anything as Jacob leant forward to meet her lips again, but pulled back fleetingly and shook her head from side to side, a frown settling on her face. **"I really don't think we should be doing this,"** she said, uncertain of her own words yet knowing what the logical side of her brain was telling her - to break it off and forget anything ever happened.

"**Don't think,"** he replied, moving his lips to her ear and whispering, **"That ruins it."** And with that, Jacob kissed down her jaw line steadily and Leah, despite her intuition, couldn't resist. She turned her head, boldly meeting his lips with her own, and burying her fears away for the moment and ignoring all sense of reason and rationality. One of his hands moved up her back once more, resting in the crook of her neck, and Leah felt his tongue trace the contours of her bottom lip almost timidly. Knowing what he wanted, and more than willing to give it to him, Leah parted her lips and allowed him entrance to her mouth.

Jacob took the acceptance with enthusiasm, changing the tempo of the whole kiss as he eagerly slipped his tongue between her lips. Grinning into the kiss, he subtly shifted their bodies so they were pressed closer together, if that was even possible. He felt her tongue run along his own and had to suppress a groan as he simultaneously felt her fingers knotting themselves in his hair. Their lips moved in some sort of passionate sync together and it was hard to believe that they had never seen each other like this before. Just as Jacob was really beginning to enjoy himself though and as the kiss naturally deepened where the tensions were rising to unbelievable levels, he felt Leah pull away slowly, almost reluctantly. **"What's wrong?"** he asked, taking a lock of her hair and gently twisting it in his fingers as he felt her legs unclasp from around his waist.

Looking down, as she knew that she couldn't maintain eye contact with him at the moment without getting much too involved again, Leah shook her head again, this time more firmly. **"This was a bad idea. I'm sorry, Jake. I just…"** her voice trailed off as she raised her eyes up, meeting his concerned expression and feeling horrible at herself for letting things get too intimate before. Hell, she didn't even know what she was doing. Jacob Black? The one guy she practically hated more than anyone else? It wasn't like she had a problem with kissing or anything, it was just the whole situation was much too overwhelming.

"**Just what?" **he asked soothingly, in a voice almost too caring, it was as if they had been close for years. **"And don't blame anything on yourself either, I'm the one who started it."**

"**Maybe. But I went along with it and now - " **her words were cut off and she shook her head again from side to side. **"I don't even know. It's just…too much at one time and I don't think I'm ready for…this. Or anything, for that matter."**

Jacob seemed to understand and nodded slowly. **"I'm sorry,"** came the response, and he looked solemn for a second or two before the grin returned. **"Then again…I don't know. I mean I'm not going to say I regret it or anything…"**

He was cut off with a sharp poke to the ribs by Leah, who frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. **"Shut up!"** she said tersely, though not as much spite was used in her tone as usual. Then, as if realization dawned on for the first time that day, her eyes got wide and she disentwined her arms from Jacob, covering her face with her hands. **"Crap! The pack…They'll find out…"** Looking up at Jacob, whom was still hovering next to her, face a little too close for friendship, Leah pointed a finger at him accusingly. **"Why'd you have to kiss me? You're an idiot! Now the whole pack is going to see next time you phase because we all know you're horrible at keeping your thoughts to yourself, believe you me. And not to mention Seth, what am I supposed to tell him when he sees thoughts of me kissing you in my - "**

Once more, Jacob stopped her words short with a kiss, and he softly placed his lips on her own, cutting her off mid-sentence. Almost immediately though, and all too soon for Jake's liking, Leah shoved him away and broke off the kiss. **"Didn't I already tell you that it was a bad idea to think about these things?"** he asked, moving out of the way as Leah jumped down from the counter to stand next to him.

Rolling her eyes, Leah nodded in false agreement, **"Because that worked so well last time…"**

Laughter broke through the air, destroying the tense atmosphere, and Jacob grinned. **"Well I wasn't going to complain but if you disagree that's fine too."**

She resisted the urge to punch him square in the face, partially because he looked helplessly cute, and partially because she knew that he was just trying to get under her skin. So instead of succumbing to his will, Leah walked over to the fridge instead, wiping her hands together and trying to forget about the last five minutes or so of her life. Of course, when she felt Jacob's arms snaking around her waist from behind her, it didn't help much, and she turned around, pushing him away with more force than what was probably necessary. **"Didn't I already say we shouldn't be doing this? I know I've got myself in too deep already and I'm really not looking for any more trouble so if you could just not do that, it'd be great because right now, you're really not helping."** Not giving him a chance to respond, Leah swung open the fridge doors and looked around with a bit too much fervor than one might usually have when picking out dinner. **"So!"** she said loudly, turning around to face a Jacob whom was stifling laughter. **"How do you feel about chicken and pasta?"**

"**The same way I feel about you - undecided,"** he responded, grinning as big as ever.

"**Ha. Ha. Ha,"** she said coldly, rolling her eyes as she turned back to the fridge and removed the chicken breasts before making her way over to the pantry and taking out a box of pasta that was meant to serve a family of six. Then again, that didn't mean a family of six ravenously hungry werewolves so chances were that the food would get finished off quite easily between Jacob and herself. **"Well it wasn't a real question anyways, you didn't really have a choice,"** she said, merely for conversation's sake as she filled a pot with water and set it on the stove to boil, prepping a different pan for the chicken and discarding the Styrofoam tray into the trash.

Jacob watched with curious eyes as she moved around the kitchen, noting that she had a certain grace in her step that was unmatched by any other werewolf he'd met. He ignored her fake laugh, still grinning as she prepped the different pans for dinner. **"About you, or the chicken?" **came the taunting response from his lips as she mentioned him not having a say in the matter. He was having fun with this now, even if it wasn't as physical as he may have wanted anymore.

She tuned around sharply after placing the chicken in the pan, walking up to Jacob and pursing her lips together. **"Both,"** Leah replied shortly, raising a hand to her face and sweeping away a stray ebony lock of hair.

"**That's disappointing,"** he responded, though not sounding disappointed in the least bit. **"Not about the chicken, that's fine. I was just hoping I'd get a little say when it comes to **_**us**_**."** Though he was still grinning, Jacob's tone became serious at the end and he watched Leah's face closely for any changes in emotion.

Rolling her eyes, Leah shook her head briefly before turning back to the stovetop, noting that the water had started to boil and turning the heat down. **"First of all, there is no **_**us**_**,"** she replied, keeping her tone smooth and opening the box of pasta as she spoke. **"And, secondly, if there **_**was**_**, which there isn't, I wouldn't be so keen on you running the show."**

Jacob walked up to her, taking the box of pasta from her hands and pouring it into the boiling pot of water before turning back to face her. **"And I thought you liked how things turned out when I ran the show…"** he said, tone serious yet somewhat amused at the same time.

"**Nope,"** she said curtly, dismissing the subject entirely and moving to pour various amounts of spices and juices into the pan with the chicken. **"Besides,"** she continued, tone accusatory yet not as vindictive as one might have expected. **"I already said that **_**we**_** weren't doing anything because it's all too overwhelming and it's not a good idea. At all. So there's really nothing to talk about."**

Jacob raised a single eyebrow in amusement, but quickly put on a more serious face. **"Overwhelming?"** he asked slowly, wrapping his arms around Leah's waist as he did so.

"**Mhmm,"** she replied, detaching his arms from her waist as she did and scowling. **"And that really doesn't help."**

Frowning, Jacob tilted his head to the side as he questioned innocently, **"Help what?"**

Leah rolled her eyes in frustration, as if the answer was obvious. **"I'm not looking for a relationship right now, and you're making it pretty damn hard."**

He couldn't help but grin, but it quickly turned back into a more serious expression. If they were getting towards the root of Leah's problems, it was hardly a time to joke. **"And why not? If it's Sam then - "**

"**No!"** she interrupted him, arms immediately folding over his chest defensively at the mention of the ultimate source of her heartache as she glared up at Jacob. Voice lowering considerably though, Leah continued. **"Sorry. It's just…I'm not even sure anymore."**

Jacob nodded, knowing all too well what she felt. He'd gone through pretty much the same thing with Bella as she had with Sam and knew that it was hard to forget. **"I know,"** he said sincerely, **"But dwelling on it isn't going to help anything."**

Though it pained her to even admit it, Leah nodded slowly, turning and stirring the pot of noodles to avoid eye contact. **"That's probably easier for you to say though,"** she started, voice hushed though still audible, **"You don't have to **_**hear**_** how much Bella loves the leech everyday or **_**see**_** them together nearly 24/7. You've been given space to forgive and forget and I just…"** She turned to look at Jacob again and shrugged nonchalantly as if the words weren't tearing apart her heart just thinking about it but looked down at her feet when she began to speak again. **"…I don't know, haven't gotten that? I mean, I'm going to be a bridesmaid at their wedding yet a part of me can't stop wishing that it was me instead of Emily up there and that she was going to be **_**my**_** bridesmaid, because that's how we had always planned it…You know, we used to be best friends."** It felt good, almost, to talk about it, mostly because Leah couldn't remember the last time she had even tried to be straightforward with herself and the whole situation. In fact, she was pretty sure that she never had. Maybe that had been the problem all along?

She was brought out of her thoughts as Jacob lifted her head up with a hand gently on her chin, so that his dark eyes were looking down into her green ones. **"I know, I know,"** he said softly, in a voice barely above a whisper that was meant to be comforting. **"I know it's hard, especially for you. But I also know that you're stronger than just about anyone I know. Not just everyone would be able to deal with what you've been through and still come out okay." **He noticed that, at his words, a single tear rolled down Leah's cheek, and his lips curved down into an instinctive frown as he moved his thumb to wipe it from her face, resting his palm on her cheek. **"Know that I believe in you. And, I know it's hard, but if you want to try this, I'm right here by your side for as long as you want me here - I'll help."**

It was hard to retain eye contact with Jacob when his expression was so full of compassion and concern, and Leah found herself looking away when she felt his palm on her cheek. Honestly, she hadn't even realized she'd allowed a tear to escape. After that though, she wasn't able to tear her eyes from his. **"Thanks, Jake,"** she said before standing up on her tippy-toes and planting a very soft kiss on his lips. She pulled away slowly, almost hesitantly, and turned to the stove without another word, turning the chicken over in the pan and giving the pasta a stir. As Jake moved to envelop her in his arms once again, she didn't protest and let him rest his chin on top of her head, finding the closeness oddly comforting for the time being.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note****:** A big thanks to all the people who reviewed! Haha, it's so weird to know that people are actually reading what I write. So yeah, here's another chapter! And sorry if it seems shorter, I just needed to flesh out their relationship a bit more - the next one will be longer!

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After eating in near silence, though it was soothing rather than awkward, Leah and Jacob had managed to end up on the couch, their bodies entwined together despite Leah's hesitance. Instinctively wrapping his arms tighter around her torso when Leah shifted against his chest, Jacob breathed in the scent of her hair and relaxed into the cushions. **"How bad was it?"** he asked suddenly, though the words were expressed with a finesse that made them appear hardly as blunt as they were.

Leah's eyes, calmed by the surprising comfort of the whole situation, flashed dangerously at the question and she felt herself wince in his arms. Though the feeling of Jacob's big arms around her helped, she was certainly not ready to talk about the change that had caused her to go from Homecoming Queen to bitter harpy. Clenching her jaw slightly, Leah took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking. **"Bad enough that I'm not ready to talk about it yet,"** she admitted tersely, putting an abrupt end to the conversation.

Jacob merely nodded, knowing that if she had asked him to talk about Bella he wouldn't have been ready to, and he was given space to forget where she was reminded everyday of the pure love Sam had for Emily that had once belonged to her. He felt her body relax in his arms and kissed the top of her head. **"I understand,"** was all he said in reply, but it was enough to let her knew that he wasn't about to judge her for her past. After all, he knew that she wouldn't judge him.

Leah twisted around, craning her neck so that, even though Jacob's arms were firmly around her torso, she was looking at his face. **"Can I ask you something?"** she asked, reaching a hand up to stroke his cheek slowly, her emerald eyes burning into his dark ones.

"**Anything,"** he replied instinctively, smiling at the feel of her warm hand on his equally burning face.

Pausing slightly, Leah mentally debated with herself whether to continue or not before speaking. **"Did you ever…" **she began slowly, looking away from Jacob's eyes before looking back, uncertain as to what his reaction would be. **"Hate me?"**

Jacob laughed in response, something that took Leah by surprise and she felt her neck tense automatically. Unlatching an arm from around her waist, he brought a hand up to meet hers, intertwining their fingers and grinning. **"You have no idea how many times I've asked myself the same question,"** he explained, tracing a nonexistent pattern on the back of her hand with his thumb. **"Sometimes I thought I did,"** he continued after a short pause, causing Leah to tense even more in his arms. **"But maybe it was just my way of dealing with all the emotion that you sparked in me. Convincing myself that I disliked you was much easier than admitting that I might have felt something more - especially when I wasn't sure where Bella stood in the whole equation."**

Listening intently, Leah searched his eyes for any clues of what might be behind the words he spoke but found nothing but deep thought. **"That didn't exactly answer the question,"** she said shortly, finding herself resorting to her usual stoic demeanor in case he said something she didn't want to hear.

Tilting his head to the side, Jacob slowly shook his head. **"I never really did though," **he replied, continuing only when Leah didn't say anything. **"Like when I saw you being attacked by that newborn, I had the sudden urge to protect and help you, despite the fact that part of me wanted to hate you. Even if I wanted to, I don't think I ever could. There was always something there stopping me…"** He shrugged slightly, with a nonchalance that was otherwise unheard of.

Leah frowned, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips together in a tight line. **"You didn't have to help me anyways, I could have got him on my own,"** she said stubbornly, though when she looked back to Jacob she couldn't help but relax, the corners of her lips turning up into a smile as she realized that if it hadn't been for him, she would have been easily taken over by the newborn. A gasp from Jacob got her attention again, and she blinked swiftly, not even acknowledging the fact that she had just smiled for the first time in nearly three years. **"What?" **she asked sharply, in a tone somewhat accusatory.

"**Leah Clearwater smiling!" **Jacob practically exclaimed, causing Leah to scowl in response. **"I never thought I'd see the day…"** he continued, shaking his head in disbelief.

Rolling her eyes, Leah muttered a response under her breath, though loud enough so Jacob could hear it, **"You're lucky I don't punch you in the face right now."**

This, of course, only humored Jake even more, and he grinned. **"I'd like to see you try,"** came the daunting reply, his eyes filled with amusement.

"**I doubt that,"** she mumbled, looking down at her lap to avoid his eyes. A warm hand lifted her chin back up though, and she had no choice but to look into his face.

"**Hey,"** he said slowly, a tone of mischief evident in his voice as the wheels were turning in his head. **"You got to ask me a question so that means I get one too,"** he stated, not even bothering to make it a question.

Leah scoffed in response, her words filled with a lighthearted annoyance, **"You wish."**

Jacob smiled and waggled a finger at her, touching her lips softly to silence them. **"Fair is fair, Clearwater."**

Though not speaking, Leah narrowed her eyes dangerously and wordlessly threatened Jacob to not question anything that would be crossing the line.

Of course, Jacob was never really one for following the rules and he pretended to ignore the look on Leah's face and looked around the room instead, as if searching for inspiration. After a few seconds, he turned back to Leah and a solemn expression formed on his face. **"What's your biggest fear?"** he asked, removing his finger from her lips to allow her to speak.

Not moving her eyes from his, Leah knew her answer as soon as the question was asked. **"Imprinting," **she replied shortly, not bothering to elaborate and knowing very well that the reason should be obvious - she liked being in control of her life and she'd seen the harm imprinting could do first-hand, the last thing she wanted to do was have to experience it all over again.

Jacob didn't ask any questions and merely shifted his position so that he was leaning into the corner of the couch, Leah resting against his chest. Before either of them knew it, they were asleep in each other's arms, looking very much like a couple despite what Leah would have had to say about the subject.

_An hour or so later…_

The faint sound of footsteps on the porch caused Leah to stir in her sleep, eyelids fluttering open as she awoke. All too quickly, realization dawned on her when she felt the rising chest behind her head and she sat up suddenly, practically jumping off of the couch. Her voice barely audible, she hissed a warning, **"Jake! Wake up, they're back."** And as he began to stir, Leah grabbed the remote from the coffee table and turned on the TV in record time, not bothering to check the channel.

Jacob straightened up, keeping a collected expression despite the alarm of the whole situation. Hell, he didn't even want to think what would have happened if the pack would have walked in on him and Leah cuddling on the couch. Looking over at Leah, who was running a hand frantically through her hair, he adverted his eyes to the television screen when he heard the door swing open, propping his feet on the coffee table.

"**Baseball has got to be the most boring sport **_**ever**_**," **Leah said, groaning when she saw the channel the TV had been on. When the pack began to file in through the door though, she raised her voice slightly and pursed her lips, **"Change the channel already, I don't understand how you can watch this stuff - it's torturous!"**

Within a matter of milliseconds Jacob realized what Leah was doing and hurriedly put on an annoyed expression of his own, rolling his eyes for extra effect and grabbed the remote from the table in front of him. **"Fine, but only because I don't want to listen to your constant griping."** After a short pause, Jacob turned around and pretended to notice the pack for the first time, leaping off the couch and ruffling his hair with a hand. **"Hey guys, have you come to save me?"** he glanced towards Leah knowingly and narrowed his eyes. **"It took you long enough…"**

"**Sorry, mate,"** came Jared's apologetic tone as he cast a look at Sam, **"We had another false alarm near the south border - Sam's on the edge lately."**

Jacob laughed in response, ignoring the urge to glance back at Leah, if only to see her face. As he was about to speak, Sam jumped to his own defense.

"**There was an odd scent and we had to check it out,"** he explained, and Jacob nodded with a grin, looking over Sam's shoulders to see an annoyed Jared.

Shaking his head, Jared frowned, **"Well now I've got to go call Kim - she'll be wondering what took so long…"** and with that, he was on his way out the door.

A few other pack members followed and Leah stood from the couch slowly, making her way over to Jacob and Sam, careful not to brush against him because she knew Sam wouldn't miss a beat. **"Not that I didn't have a **_**lovely**_** time tonight, Jake," **she began, sarcasm dripping from her words as she narrowed her eyes, **"But I think I'm going to go upstairs, it's suddenly feeling crowded in here. And Sam, feel free to trip on the way out. You too, Jake."** She surprised herself with the harshness of her tone, wondering if she always sounded so terribly bitter, but didn't bother to apologize as she made her way to the staircase, taking the stairs two at a time to escape the tension of the previous room.

Sam shook his head sorrowfully, watching Leah as she made her exit before turning back to Jacob. **"I don't think she even knows what she's become sometimes," **he found himself saying, guilt evident in his eyes. **"Anyways, how was it? Sorry we were late."**

Jacob took note of the obvious guilt in Sam's expression and couldn't help but be frustrated. After all, it was his fault that Leah was normally so bitter and cold but he quickly shook the thoughts from his mind and grinned. **"It was…Interesting, to say the least,"** he replied, though not adding enough sincerity to his voice to make Sam suspicious of anything.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note****:** Hey! Sorry it's been taking me so long to update - it's a combination of writer's block, laziness, and a full summer schedule. But here is the fifth chapter and I tried to make it longer to make up for the lack of updates! I know it's not the best chapter and it's mostly errr, fleshing out the _physical _ aspects of Jake and Leah's relationship but it is setting up for a very important part of the story and I already have the sixth mostly written out so I'll be sure to update soon again! Though, to be honest, some more reviews would really help me write faster… ;)

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The next two weeks or so were absolute hell. Leah had forced herself to be extra bitter and spiteful when in form so the others wouldn't notice anything off about her attitude and, to protect her thoughts of Jacob, she covered them with the usual targets - Emily's scars, Embry's father, and, even though she could hear how much it hurt Jacob; Bella. Leah herself found it amazing how convincing she could be when she tried and the rest of the pack merely thought she was rebelling and making up for lost time since she had missed a patrol. She could hear their thoughts, telling her how awful she was and claiming her bitterness was more than just a phase she would grow out of. Jacob's thoughts were the worst.

Despite their secret talks in human form, Jacob had been forced to shield the others away from his thoughts while in form too and stayed intent on insulting or retorted anything and everything Leah thought about. He would think about how much of a horrible person she was, how it was horrid that she envied Emily even though they used to be best friends, and how he had been through the near same experience and hadn't turned into a harpy.

As much as it hurt though, Leah knew it was necessary. The only thing worse than hiding whatever it was she had with Jacob would have been to make it public knowledge and put herself up to be openly mocked. Jacob wasn't as opposed to the idea as Leah was and actually thought telling the pack would be a hell of a lot easier for the both of them. Though she knew he was right, anytime he brought up the idea, she would teeter on the verge of explosion, and Jacob would back down. He knew very well not to upset Leah, even if they did usually end up having their most fun after a heated argument…

"**Jacob Black, you are such an insufferable prat!" **she yelled, voice practically a shriek. Her green eyes were filled with anger and Leah was a sight most would run from. Unfortunately, Jacob had seen this side of her all too many times and knew just what to say, or _do_ to switch her temper on and off. He couldn't help but grin as she flailed her arms in fury, making note of how cute she tended to look when she was angry…However tantalizing the thought was, he was jolted out of his trance when he realized the lips he was watched were speaking again. **"I cannot **_**believe**_** that you told Embry! And no, I don't care that he's your best friend! God, now the whole pack is going to know."**

Jacob frowned slightly, wondering when it would be too late to say that he hadn't actually told Embry and the whole thing was just a joke…He was probably going to be slapped across the face…again. And, despite his werewolf strength, Leah had it too and she also had this spark of fury otherwise unheard of. Secretly, it was something he feared, but he openly enjoyed testing it. **"Would that be so bad, Leah?!" **he felt himself say, his own voice and temper rising. **"Honestly, it's like you're embarrassed of me or something."**

This really set Leah off because, as opposed to the idea of the pack finding out about their relationship, what irked her the most was how Jacob was okay with it. If anything, it seemed like he _wanted_ them to find out. **"Oh, and is that why you told Embry?! So he could tell the rest of the pack and you could judge on whether or not I was **_**embarrassed**_** of you? Jake, you're pathetic,"** she replied hotly, an instinctive sharp edge to her voice.

For a while it had been amusing to watch her prance around his living room in anger, but now it was just getting to be ridiculous. That, and he was beginning to get angry too, something that rarely happened and he didn't want to make a habit of. It wasn't his fault that she knew just what to say to get under his skin. **"I didn't even tell him!" **he yelled in his defense, making note of the way Leah's eyes narrowed into slits as he confessed. A smirk settled itself on his features as Jacob calmed his nerves and he fell back into a chair, watching as Leah made her way over to him, practically shaking the ground with her stomps.

"**What?" **she asked, though not waiting for an answer. **"So what is this whole thing?!" ** As she ranted, she flailed her arms in the air, lips pursed angrily and eyes narrowed. **"Some sort of cruel and unusual torture, Jake, is that what it is? Because I don't like it. At all!"**

Jacob's suddenly nonchalant behavior only annoyed Leah even more, and he knew very well what he was doing. Choosing his words carefully, he spoke again, **"I just like pushing your buttons."** Though the words were simple, they enraged Leah, and she hovered over Jake threateningly.

"**You…You…You…"** her breath was coming in short bursts, the anger draining her from energy, and the insult she began never came as her words were cut off - quite literally - as Jacob's lips smashed into her own.

She had been too preoccupied thinking of a worthy insult to notice when Jacob's eyes had lit up and, in the blink of an eye, he had acted. Already sitting on the chair, Jacob leaned forward with superhuman speed, wrapping his arms greedily around Leah's torso and leaning back after connected their hungry lips together. As he leaned back in the chair, Leah had no choice but to fall with him and the lack of space meant that she was sitting on his lap, legs straddling his sides, and features instantly transformed. Rather than being practically fuming with anger as she had been moments before, Leah had taken on a new demeanor - one of pure ecstasy.

"**Damn hormones," **she muttered uselessly against his lips, making no attempt to change the situation as much as she was discouraged by the outcome. After all, she had been ready to show him that she wasn't one to be messed with, especially not with some practical joke that would lead her to be, once again, the talk of the entire pack and then - BAM! Jacob had managed to win her over with a mere kiss. She was pathetic. Yet, for some odd reason, she really didn't care. If anything, she was more than pleased with the sudden turn of events yet it wasn't something she would ever admit.

Jacob, though more openly than Leah, was also quite satisfied with the new route their conversation had taken them too, grinning into the kiss as Leah pressed against him. As much of a firecracker as she could be…Leah Clearwater could certainly be quite predictable sometimes. Then again, Jacob supposed he did have an upside on most considering he could read her thoughts when in form and had experimented many times with trial and error to see how far she could be pushed before exploding. Still, he couldn't help but laugh as her words tickled his lips and he pulled back slightly, so that he could speak but their lips still brushed against each other. **"Ah, you know you love them, Leah,"** he replied smoothly, eyes glimmering with amusement.

Leah scowled, eyes narrowing slightly though not to the point of true anger. If anything, she was just annoyed with herself for giving in so easily because it wasn't something she did often. **"And I think that's what scares me the most,"** she said, not realizing that she had voiced her true thoughts before the words were already in the air. Not giving Jacob the chance to respond, in fear that he would catch her slight slip-up, Leah closed the small distance between their lips, meeting his warm lips with her own with an almost desperate fervor.

Though her words had almost taken him aback, for it wasn't every day that she would admit being threatened by anything, Jacob's thoughts were completely dissolved when he felt her lips on his. If it had been a plan to distract him or just an action out of her rush of teenage impulse, Jacob didn't care either way. Rather, he practically groaned into her mouth, pleased with the level of intensity brought to the scene and eager to match her zeal with his own. Letting instinct take over, Jacob deepened the kiss, parting her lips slightly with his own and running his tongue along her own.

By this time, Leah had given up on holding any sort of grudge against Jacob for his earlier joke and had all but abandoned any sense of anger. Eyes shut softly, she leaned into Jacob and felt a chill run up her spine as she felt his tongue exploring her mouth. Though momentarily hypnotized, Leah responded with enthusiasm and slipped a hand up his arm to his hair. Knotting her fingers in his black locks, Leah wrestled with his tongue slightly and couldn't help herself from enjoying the kiss more than she probably should have been.

Feeling her hand in his hair was almost too much for Jacob and he was overrun with a rush of passion. Acting on said passion, he tightened his grip around Leah's torso to a force that would have crushed any 'normal' girl. In another split second, he had all-but jumped from the chair, turning around once they were both standing he practically slammed Leah's back into the wall. The sudden pressure to the wall caused a picture frame hanging to drop to the floor, the glass holding the picture in tact shattering on impact. **"Sorry,"** he murmured gruffly, placing his hands against the wall on either side of Leah's shoulders.

The movement caught her off-guard but as soon as she realized what Jacob was doing, she had to keep from groaning in pleasure. As she collided with the wall, Leah's eyes flashed open but there was no pain so she kept from protesting. Hah! Like she would want it any other way anyways…Though when Jacob apologized, she had to raise her eyebrows in amusement. **"No need to apologize,"** she said, only realizing how out of breath she was when the words came out almost strained. With inspiration from his recent actions, Leah's temptation got the best of her and she couldn't help but slide her hands down Jacob's back, lifting up the hem of his shirt and slowly raising it over his torso. Jacob seemed to have got the hint and quickly raised his arms so Leah could discard the piece of clothing with ease. As the T-shirt was tossed aside, Leah couldn't help her eyes from wandering. It wasn't anything new - seeing as the pack ran around half-naked most of the time, but the circumstances added a new hunger to her eyes.

Jacob couldn't help but smirk, his confidence booming at the look in Leah's eyes. Then again, he probably wasn't any better. If anything, the sudden desire to make things more even by ridding Leah of her shirt was almost overwhelming and something that, quite frankly, he couldn't ignore. Craning his neck slightly to catch her lips in his once more, Jacob seized both of Leah's hands in one of his - pinning them above her head with ease. Still holding her hands above her head, to which she gratefully wasn't making any protest against, Jacob's free hand wandered towards her waist and he took the hem of her shirt between his fingertips, having to take a half a step back from Leah in order to have enough space between them so he could continue with his current objective.

She had been cooperating with him up to this point, but when Leah felt his fingertips on her stomach as he slid the shirt up her torso, she couldn't help but shiver involuntarily. As warm as things were, even for two werewolves who ran body temperatures well above normal, she was quite overwhelmed. Almost instinctively, she began to resist his grasp around her wrists and the urge to take control of the situation was almost unbearable. If anything, she wanted to free her arms only so they could wrap tightly around Jacob's torso and pull them closer together. As her shirt was lifted up past her chest, Leah smirked at the expression on Jacob's face as he broke the kiss to remove the article of clothing completely leaving only a simple striped bra keeping her decent. **"You are such a guy, Jacob,"** she said whilst rolling her eyes. In his trance, Jacob had unwillingly loosened his hold on Leah's wrists and she was able to free her arms. Using a hand, she lifted it to Jacob's chin and raised it slightly, her tone annoyed yet smug as she spoke, **"And my eyes are up here."**

If he could, Jacob would have blamed the whole thing on his Y chromosome and the fact that the testosterone levels in his bloodstream must have been on the verge of internal combustion. He had always thought of Leah as beautiful - everyone did. It was usually just the permanent scowl on her features and incessant bitter outlook on life that kept any guys away whom might have taken an interest. That and, if they said the wrong thing, Leah was likely to break their arm in half on a whim. But Jacob, at the moment, wasn't thinking of such consequences. After all, he and Leah had forged some sort of bond to one and other in the past couple of weeks and he could get away with staring at her chest and not being ripped to shreds. Though when she spoke, he couldn't help but grin. **"Right-o, Leah,"** came the response before he took her lips again, running his hands all over the newly-exposed flesh.

The feeling of Jacob's fingers along her spine was borderline hypnotic and Leah found herself responding with the same eagerness. Her hands, now free, took advantage of the situation as one knotted her fingers roughly in his hair and the other wrapped around the side of his shoulder to the top of his bare back, forcing their bodies closer together - if that was even possible by this point. **"I really…"** she said shortly, breaking the kiss for a second worth of time and speaking in short bursts against his lips, **"Don't think…That this…Is a very…Good idea."** Against better judgment though, she didn't protest against anything Jacob was doing, finding that, much to her surprise, she was enjoying it almost as much as he was.

As if on cue though, the telephone rang from the coffee table and both Leah and Jacob jumped at the interruption as if an electric current had suddenly been shot through them both. Jacob groaned before running a hand through his hair and walking over to answer the phone. **"Hello?"** he said, realizing once the words were out that he was nearly gasping for breath and his tone was husky. Eyes filled with a sudden shock, he cleared his throat loudly and tried again. **"Hello?"**

"**Hey Jake, it's Sam," **came the voice from the other line and Jake found himself annoyed with the alpha for the timing of his call. After a short pause though, Sam spoke again, **"Are you okay?"**

"**I'm fine, Sam,"** Jacob said quickly, voice returned to normal as he shot a look at Leah who was collecting her shirt from the floor and putting it back on. Before Sam could question him further, Jacob continued, **"So what's up?"** He knew Sam well enough to know that there must have been news if he was calling.

Sam's suspicious thoughts disappeared as he was reminded of business. **"Oh, Emily wanted to let you know that there is going to be a barbeque tonight at our house and, of course, you and the rest of the pack is invited. Tell any of them if you see 'em - okay? Especially Leah, Seth said she hasn't been at the house all day…" **Jacob could almost hear the guilt and worry in Sam's voice as he continued in a voice barely audible, **"I hope it wasn't something I said…"** Abruptly, as if realizing what he had let slip, Sam cleared his throat. **"Right. So it starts in an hour, see you then!"**

"**Okay Sam,"** Jacob said, ignoring the part about Leah altogether and hanging up the phone after he heard the other line click. He let out a sigh of relief and turned to Leah, who had her arms crossed over her chest and a scowl on her face. **"Would I be way out of line if I suggested we start right where we left off?"** he asked, a grin settling itself on his features.

Leah rolled her eyes and bent down to pick Jacob's shirt up from the floor though there was no denying her chest was still rising and falling faster than it might have been if circumstances had been different before Sam's interruption. **"Yes,"** she said shortly, throwing Jacob's shirt at him and licking her lips. **"And put that on please, you're already making it hard enough not to think about this stuff when we're in form."**

Grinning even wider than before, Jacob obliged and re-dressed but took a few steps towards Leah as he spoke, **"If only you know how hard it was for me…"** But as he leaned down to close the distance between their lips, he felt two of Leah's fingers stopping him.

"**Shut it,"** she said, eyes flashing dangerously though her face relaxed slightly. **"We have a barbeque to go to and **_**apparently**_** I've been missed at home so I really should be getting back. And, quite frankly, I don't really want to hear it..."** The words were only half-true, seeing as she wouldn't have minded Jacob telling her how much he'd like to think about her 24/7, but at the same time she didn't want to hear anything that would make her be even more into the relationship than the already was. God knows it wasn't good for her and she was trying to keep things casual...And failing miserably in the process.


End file.
